FIJI'S PROBLEM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 April 1922, Page 4

FIJI'S PROBLEM.

WHO SHALL REIGN?

EUROPEAN OR INDIAN?

,-,... . SUVA, March 3. -ciji is at the parting of the ways. Her people, if they are given the choice, have to decide whether Fiji shall become a British colony, where the Britisher will retain command, or an Indian community—a colony of India, peopled and controlled by her dusky inhabitants. A number of circumstances have led up to this critical position. The war has altered the outlook of labour throughout the world. Fiji, isolated as she is by her geographical position, might have staved off the day of reckoning for some time but government was lax, and the same remarkable vacillation which has brought India perilously near the verge of rebellion has allowed a propaganda which has brought the contented Indian peasant out of his peaceful seclusion and face to face with a world's demand the causes or preliminaries of which he is yet in complete ignorance. Employers cannot get- labour. They fear the worst. The cßief industry of, the colony— sugar—is threatened with collapse. Frantically the Government has endeavoured to obtain promise of more coolie labour from India. India sent a mission to Fiji, and hopes were entertained that when the visitors saw the evidences of good health and comparative wealth among Indians who came to Fiji some years ago as paupers that they .would be satisfied that it would be safe for India to allow further recruiting for coolie labour in India But the Indian leaders of the new school secured the ear of the two leading Indian delegates, and the hope in the mission collapsed like a pricked bladder. It is now fully recognised that unless the unexpected happens there is no hope of any more labour from India.

The question has assumed a new phase by the proposal put forward boldly by the Fiji Times and Herald that small compact holdings, instead of great estates, and white farmers instead of hosts of Indian labour under white overseers, is the only solution to the query of how cur chief primary industries are to be saved. It is known that some of our large cocoaaut planters, being unable to find sufficient labour, are ready to subdivide their bearing country among white settlers Areas of 100 to 200 acres of full-bearing trees, with cattle as a side line, would return a comfortable income, running into £400 or £500 a year or more. But how to handle the sugar industry appeared H more difficult nut to crack However, Mr. J. P. Bayley, who has been a cane planter and is now a cattle rancher, came forward with a schem.o which offers a suggestion which. :f riot, a. complete solution, at least deserves serious consideration. Mr. Bayley has laid his-proposal before his Excellency the Governor, who appeared impressed and promised to give the matter consideration. Mr. Bayley's preamble accepts two conclusions. (1) That the Indians now in Fiji have ceased to be a dependable labour force for the carrylnS out of our primary industries, and (2) that all hopes have vanished of obtaining any further and proper labour supplies from India, Mr. Bayly believes that a white man can perform manual labour and rear healthy families in Fiji, which has an ideal climate, free from malaria and other diseases which depreciate other tropical and subtropical countries. He anticipates that it is possible that a white farmer's pro-i ducts- in Fiji will be protected from Javanese cheap sugar. The present preference of £4 13s 4d a ton which .New Zealand gives Fiji over Java sugar, equal to 12s 6d a ton of cane, should be sufficient. He suggests that JNew Zealand by herself or with Fiji should provide capital to take over the sugar industry here, or erect new mills. New Zealand in return could get a regular and sure supply of "white sugar," the best in the world, which could be retailed in the Dominion at a profit of 3d per Ib. With 12s 6d protection white farmers could be paid 20s a ton for their cane of 13 p.o.c.s. i quality. His estimate for the cost of ■ the ton of sugar is as follows : — I

The £1 export duty will probably be removed. To the above he adds freight, Fiji to Auckland, at 25s per ton, and refinery costs, £2 los, or. £4, making a total cost of refined sugar in New Zealand of £24.—Auckland Star correspondent. j

£ s. d. 7J tons cane to one ton sugar, at 21/- 7 17 6 Cost of hauling to mill, including line maintenance, at 4/- per ton 1 10 0 Milling into raw sugar at per ton sugar -3 0 0 Sacks and expenses shipping at port 12 6 Depreciation at per ton of sugar 10 0 E:port duty 10 0 Interest and sinking fund, par ton sugar '. 4 10 0 Total cost £20 0 0